Ghalya's Museum of Modern Art

Ghalya's Museum of Modern Art

Ghalya's Museum of Modern Art
4.5
Speciality MuseumsArt MuseumsHistory Museums
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Welcome to our unique collection of traditional Omani houses facing the historic port of Muttrah. Experience Oman’s life and culture of 1950 -1970’s.
Duration: < 1 hour
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles164 reviews
Excellent
104
Very good
39
Average
14
Poor
3
Terrible
4

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
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Sharon C
London, UK24 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022 • Family
Renamed and worth a revisit people and a place Museum is the best and most accessible museum of Omani life. In particular for Fashionista’s everywhere this museum has the eponymous collection of exquisite Omani dress throughout the ages that in fact deserves a museum all of its own. Tucked away to the rear of the building, the dress museum is a once in a lifetime opportunity to really view at first hand the wondrous history of design and detail of the region. Each piece is so beautifully displayed and accessorised with the ornament of the day. The mannequins stand elegant and poised and proud with their flowing silks, velvets, beading and jewels transporting you back to when and how those silks were woven and transported to the Corniche across the ocean. Traded and then expertly fashioned for the ladies of the land for their finest displays of richness, colour and beauty. I spent hours in this museum. Transfixed and transported.
Written June 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Visitor, Thank You for taking the time to review our museum
Written July 16, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Marina and Co. Ltd
St. Petersburg, Russia81,499 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2024 • Couples
Our Guide Paul brought us to this small museum, Place & People Museum, with a tiny exhibition in 4 rooms, where in the typical white stone house of 🇴🇲Oman, the second half of the 20th century, you can immerse yourself in the history of the Omanis and their deeply rooted heritage, customs and traditions. Interesting, authentic, educational, but nothing more. For dessert, you can look into the art gallery, which stands side by side and is part of the clip of this attraction. Entrance 2 OMR = 500 rubles, self-examination.
Automatically translated
Written October 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

twintipbunny
Fort Collins, CO168 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022
I spent about 15 min in this place. Not a museum of modern art that I saw. Instead it's a cramped, twisted path through some old rooms that resemble a flea market. I had come from Bait Al Zubair, which also has the contents of an old house, plus an entire museum, and a real art gallery. Do not waste your money at this place. Overpriced.
Written March 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Blackfields
Grosseto, Italia1,994 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Couples
Small museum right at the beginning of the Corniche and under the Mutrah Fort. It is very well done and tidy, basically an obligatory route inside a renovated house that passes through the various reconstructed rooms of an Omani house from the 60s and 70s, with objects from the period, furnishings, customs and more. Curious. Outside there is also a section that contains works of art for sale and a shop.
Google
Written February 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

nicolleal
Manchester, UK45 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2014 • Couples
A walk along Mutrah corniche past the souk and towards the second roundabout will take you to this unsuspecting white building which hides a treasure trove of artefacts related to Omani life. They have recreated rooms from a typical Omani house through various periods of history. One of the rooms is a bridal room displaying wedding clothes and educating the visitor about Omani marriage customs. There is also a room of a young man who left his village to work in Muscat in the days before electricity. This was also very well done. At the back of the main building is a gallery displaying modern Omani art which is beautiful and offers prints for purchase. The gift shop at the end was reasonably priced and had some unique items. The curator was friendly, attentive and helpful.
This is a must-see in Muscat perhaps after a visit to the souq and a nice stroll along the seafront.
Written December 29, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

EngliShisha
United Kingdom87 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2019 • Couples
The staff here are very friendly and welcoming, and this preserved Omani home (before the modernisation era of Sultan Qaboos Al Said) is very charming. To find it, walk from the Souk towards the end of the corniche (not the Fish and Vegetable Market end, but towards the Fort and Incense Burner, shortly after Bank Muscat). It is set back slightly from the main Corniche and there is a brown tourism sign in both English and Arabic.
The original doors and shutters are ornate and the home is packed with everyday items from the time, with special displays for the Omani wedding, kitchenware and a young man's bedroom complete with antique gramophone player...... A separate room showcasing Omani Modern Art is a beautiful addition. There is a small gift shop and the whole collection is shady and cool. Admission is great value at 1 Omani Rial for adults.
Written April 19, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Visitor, Thank You for taking the time to review our museum.
Written April 20, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

NYerinUAE
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates18 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2019 • Family
This is a small museum that is perfect for a family with restless children. My girls are 10, 9 and 7 years old. And while they like museums, small quick ones are the best so they can enjoy before getting bored and this one, now call the Place and People Museum, is perfect. It showcases a traditional Omani home and has so much detail I could have spent hours just looking at all the items they included. The place was nicely air conditioned and provided a wonderful reprieve from the oppressive heat outside. In addition the bathrooms were clean and lovely, another plus. Saji, the caretaker was friendly, kind and accommodating. Overall a wonderful experience and highly recommended.
Written April 17, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Visitor, Thank You for taking the time to review our museum.
Written April 20, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

GSEM06
Nice, France65 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2019 • Friends
Out of coincidence, we ended-up in this cosy and unique museum on the corniche. Our guide Siju was so friendly, passionate about his museum and welcoming.
Written March 22, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Visitor, Thank You for taking the time to review our museum.
Written March 24, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jacoba G
Blandford Forum, UK36 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2014 • Couples
Delightful small museum showing Omani life set in tiny restored traditional houses. Brilliant! A small token gallery of modern art but they need to change the signage as the historical exhibits are far more interesting than the art! Only 1 rial entry and the couple who run it are charming.
Written December 31, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

doctor694
Oman75 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2014 • Friends
When I first read that there is such a place as a Museum of Modern Art in Muscat, I just couldn't believe such thing exists and I didn't really care to visit it. But an Omani friend told me it is worth visiting it and he took me there.
Bayt al Ghaliya is actually a display of real life in Muscat in the mid-20th century, when there was no electricity and tap water, almost no tarmac but the people had seen life in the rest of the world and tried to reconcile the tradition of Oman with the reality of the 20th century. There you will see a very traditional setup of a 'burgeois' house in Muscat just next to consumers' goods from the West, traditional spices and scents next to Dior products, traditional kahwa pots next to transistor radio and sawing machine...
If you really want to understand modern Oman and its inhabitants, I cordially advise you to visit this place
Written June 3, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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